3 D: Deficient, Doubting, And Double-Minded Series

3D

Book of James Series I

INTRO: In 1999, State Farm Insurance provided a rating on the best and worst intersections in the USA. They found out that the corner of Belt Line Road & Midway Road in Addison, Texas in the suburb of Dallas was the worst in the nation. How bad? The intersection had 263 crashes reported that year! That’s an average of 5 a week. Heck, that’s worse than Highway N & Duello.

TRANSITION: Well this morning we are going to talk about a crash, for sometimes we cross dangerous intersections in life. The title of this lesson is 3D, which really has no specific intent other than to serve as a reminder of the three aspects covered here. And all three resemble crashes

BIBLE VERSE: James 1:5-8

5If any of you lacks wisdom (some translations imply “deficient in wisdom”), he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

1. DEFICIENT:

Mentally Defective: Here is a tough line, but Dictionary.com observes that “a person who is deficient, is one who is mentally defective.” If our walk is deficient, where do we start over?

Burglars in Florida: A surveillance video tape shows two burglars, heads covered, attempting to break into a home while inside a fenced-in backyard of a suburban neighborhood. After repeated attempts to shake the hinges of the door open, one of the future convicts decides to gather himself about 15 feet a way and squat down in a football stance. At breakneck speed, he dashes his head into the back glass patio door knocking himself senseless.

THAT’S MENTALLY DEFECTIVE. HERE’S ANOTHER…

T-Bone Steak Clubbing: A civil action occurred in the home of a Florida couple when the 53 year old woman engaged in a high level discussion with her live-in boyfriend. It appears that a dispute which began over what to serve at dinner ended with a clubbing. As the pair debated whether to eat rolls or sliced bread, the woman grabbed her uncooked 16 ounce steak and pummeled her boyfriend over the head. Officers observed that the victim had “slight redness on his right cheek and on the crown of his head.”

YEAH…THAT’S MENTALLY DEFECTIVE. BUT WHEN WE TURN TO THE BIBLE, WE LEARN THAT IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH TO BE DEFECTIVE, LET’S LOOK THERE NOW…

Transition: You know, there are many ways to use our head, and these are not one of them. The actual goal for our head is to gain wisdom & knowledge from God…so how do we do that?

BIBLE VERSE: Job 36:5

Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any, he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

(So ultimate wisdom comes from God).

BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 14:6

The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.

(Wisdom is given to those who seek honestly).

BIBLE VERSE: Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

(So, is it even possible to be wise without fearing the Lord?). To repair a mentally defective mind, we must start with increasing our fear of the Lord.

2. DOUBTING:

Why Doubt? Well, first there is a difference between a doubter and a questioner, someone who is skeptical and someone who is cynical. If a person is skeptical, they can be shown truth or be proven false, and they will accept it. If they are a cynic (or as Proverbs calls them a mocker), nothing matters regardless of what you tell them.

Movies: I love movies, I think all of America loves movies. Often enough, the movie gets to a real suspenseful part, and once and a while the main character says a prayer to God. The odd thing is how sincerity doesn’t seem to matter. “God, if you are there God, please heal my wife.”

Now, God can totally heal the man’s wife, true. But, praying to a God they are not sure is there, demonstrates doubt, not something to get in the habit of doing.

BUT DOUBTING IS SOMETHING CHRISTIANS DO TOO:

BIBLE VERSE: John 11:7-16

7Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

8"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"

9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. 10It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."